Van Diemens Land

     Am             F  G          Am             G
Come all ye gallant poachers that ramble void of care
     Am              C         D               F         G         Am
That walked out on a moonlight night with your dog, your gun, your snare
    C                  G             Am              G
The hare and the lofty pheasant, you have at your command
    Am               C      D     F       G        Am
Not thinking on your last career upon Van Diemen's Land


[VERSE 2:]
                       F      G          Am              G
Poor Thomas Brown from Nenagh Town, Jack Murphy and poor Joe
     Am               C       D        F      G         Am
Were three determined poachers, as the county well does know
       C              G                  Am                 G
By the keepers of the land, me boys, one night they were trepanned
        Am                  C  D     F      G        Am      C D Am Am7 Am
And for fourteen years transported unto Van Diemen's Land


[VERSE 3:]
                      F  G    Am             G
The first day that we landed upon that fatal shore
    Am             C       D      F        G      Am
The planters came around us there might be twenty score
     C                  G               Am             G
They ranked us off like horses and they sold us out of hand
         Am              C             D        F          G        Am
And they yoked us to the plough, brave boys, to plough Van Diemen's Land


[VERSE 4:]
                F      G    Am                 G
The cottages we live in are built with sods of clay
        Am               C      D        F        G        Am
We have rotten straw for bedding, but we dare not say them nay
    C                  G           Am              G
Our cots we fence with wire and we slumber when we can
   Am                  C D            F      G        Am      C D Am Am7 Am
To keep the wolves and tigers from us in Van Diemen's Land


[VERSE 5:]
                    F   G      Am              G
Oft times when I do slumber, I have a pleasant dream
        Am                 C      D       F    G       Am
With my sweetheart sitting near me, close by a purling stream
     C                   G               Am               G
I am roaming through old Ireland with my true love by the hand
     Am            C   D     F       G        Am
But awaken, broken hearted, upon Van Diemen's Land


[VERSE 6:]
               F        G           Am             G
Oh, if I had a thousand pounds, all laid out in my hand
    Am              C      D    F      G        Am
I'd give it all for liberty, if that I could command
 C               G                  Am         G
Again to Ireland I'd return and I'd be a happy man
        Am              C  D         F      G        Am      C D Am Am7 Am
And I'd bid farewell to poaching and to Van Diemen's Land